Live Music Reviews

David Byrne & St. Vincent burn down the house in Oakland

July 22, 2013 by Dara Shulman 3 Comments

With the house lights still up at the beautiful Fox Theatre in Oakland July 21, a youthful-sounding David Byrne got on the mic backstage to greet the audience. He jovially and politely asked the audience to put their “gadgets” away; “we’ve worked really hard on this show and we’re really proud of it…you don’t need a gadget to enjoy it.” The packed house enthusiastically applauded in agreement.

The audience was regaled with booming sounds from the sousaphone, trumpets, trombones, French horn, and sax. Byrne’s voice, as strong and sharp as it was in his Talking Heads days harmonized handsomely with Annie Clark, the lead creative force behind St. Vincent. The group opened with “Who”, the opening track on David Byrne and St. Vincent’s 2012 album Love This Giant.

The show was so beautifully epic. The eight-piece marching horn section, Annie Clark’s crystal clear voice, and Byrne’s notorious quirkiness were in sync all evening — the show was more of a theatrical production than a concert. The choreography, the musicianship, the talent, the lighting; the entire production was so seamless and so much fun to watch. During the Talking Heads cover “Wild, Wild Life”, the talented horn section marched in a circle while each member gave a quick line into the mic. “I wrestle with your conscious, you wrestle with your partner.”

Byrne, clad in all white, bopped along while the band led many of the numbers. While the upbeat songs were great to dance to, it was the more mellow songs such as “Outside Space and Time” that brought the warmth and power out of the horns. One had to wonder where the sound of strings was coming from? The French horn perhaps? Each song portrayed it’s own story: the tone, choreography, and sound adapted delightfully for each number. It kept you wondering, where are we going next?

The crowd rallied and cheered during the Talking Heads songs of the evening. Byrne projected joy during a lovely rendition of “Naïve Melody (This Must Be the Place)”. The real crowd-pleaser turned out to be during the encore, when Byrne’s “Burning Down the House” literally brought the entire packed Fox to their feet to bust out some moves. They exited the stage after their second encore, a New Orleans second line-style “Road to Nowhere.”

Another striking moment happened when Clark thanked her “bitchin’ crew” for their dedication during their full year tour, as this show marked the conclusion of the US tour. Not only did she thank the road crew and band members, but gave a lovely homage to Byrne himself. She first discovered Byrne’s music after viewing Revenge of the Nerds in her youth (“Burning Down the House” was featured in a scene). She went on to explain the impact of his music and how honored she was to be on stage performing with him. To paraphrase, “Thank you David for bringing your music into the world, you have made it a better place.”

A brief personal anecdote:
I was first introduced to David Byrne and The Talking Heads in high school when I was told to listen to the Stop Making Sense album: that was a life-changer. As an avid Talking Heads fan, this was really a dream come true for me. It only got better when he played “Naïve Melody”, the song I hold so dear to my heart and walked down the aisle to at my wedding. I try to make Byrne’s lyrics my motto, “Feet on the ground, Head in the Sky.”

My husband and I had seats literally in the last row of the balcony, BB. They turned out to be the best seats in the house! Not only are the acoustics amazing from anywhere in the gorgeous Fox Theatre, but some of the numbers are almost meant to be watched as if watching a play; thus seats were nice to have. Being in the back row also allowed us to pop up and dance when the mood struck us, which was often. The show was truly a beautiful work of art — It was an honor to see David Byrne, weird and as awesome as ever.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Annie Clark, David Byrne, Fox Theater Oakland, St. Vincent

SF locals Cool Ghouls add horn section at Phono del Sol

July 19, 2013 by Nikki de Martini Leave a Comment

By Nikki DeMartini //

Phono del Sol Music Festival //
Potrero del Sol Park – San Francisco
July 13th, 2013 //

This past Saturday was a picture-perfect day to catch some rays, see local bands and grub on fare from food trucks at the third annual Phono del Sol Music and Food Festival. The festivities started at noon, and by the time Bay Area natives Cool Ghouls hit The Potrero Stage at 12:50 p.m. a small, yet-good sized crowd had gathered to catch their act. Though most people who went to watch Cool Ghouls enjoyed the set from afar atop one of the grassy knolls in Phono del Sol Park, a handful of fans got right up front where the sound quality was way better.

Coll Ghouls’ usual four-piece ensemble had an additional three-piece horn section, and after all the guys got situated, bassist Pat Thomas, lead guitarist Ryan Wong and Pat McDonald each said hello to the crowd before opening with the track most likely to be found on a summertime playlist, “Natural Life”.

The guys of Cool Ghouls are young and they look it, which is sort of surprising since their sound in is undeniably retro with a modern surf-rock twist. Within the first three songs of their set, Thomas, McDonald and Wong each took over lead vocals while their sweet harmonies highlighted every song.

Cool Ghouls filled the afternoon air with seven cool tracks off their self-titled debut EP, including “Grace” and “Queen Sophie”, in their own youthful retro fashion. Their performance paired perfectly with the unseasonably warm SF weather while their laid-back, inviting vibe created that sought-after feel festivalgoers appreciate at the beginning of a long day of music. Well played, Cool Ghouls.

Nikki de Martini spoke with Pat Thomas, bassist and singer for Cool Ghouls before their Phono del Sol set.

Showbams: I understand that the name Cool Ghouls is derived from George Clinton’s funky banter. Can you elaborate on why you chose the name Cool Ghouls and what the name means to you collectively as a band?

Thomas: Well, Pat McDonald came up with the idea. I dunno. We thought it had a nice ring to it. It rhymes. It’s ghastly. I like ghosts. I wrote a song called “Ghost Song”.

Showbams: Do you consider yourselves ghouls? Do you consider yourselves cool?

Thomas: Yes and yes.

Showbams: Are you fans of George Clinton? His music? Fashion sense? What he stands for?

Thomas: I don’t have a lot of George Clinton knowledge really. I like the whole far-out vibe that Parliament had/has. Maggot Brain is a killer album. On every road trip “Can You Get to That” gets bumped at least once.

Showbams: Congratulations on releasing your self-titled debut EP this past April. Some reviews that I’ve come across consider your sound as rather retro circa a 60’s psychedelic sound. I personally picked up on a throwback to old-school surf-rock with a modern twist. How would you say you perceive the sound of Cool Ghouls and why?

Thomas: Well, it’s pretty much impossible to imagine what other people’s ears are gonna hear when your music hits them. We just play the kind of music we’ve always played. When I’m writing or playing a Cool Ghouls song, I’m not thinking within a framework like “garage” or “60’s.” I’m just trying to channel the sounds and vibes in my brain. Certainly 60’s-type shit finds its way into what I do because all that shit is somewhere in there, in my brain. Especially with bass, Motown subconsciously finds its way into my fingers.

Showbams: I dig the cover artwork on the LP — it looks part hand-drawn/painted with a some photography up in there…who’s the artist who did the work?

Thomas: Thanks! I did the cover art myself! Yeah, it’s a canvas that I painted with watercolors. Then I taped all the other images on top. They’re all found pieces, except the rooster, which I painted. Oh, and the picture of us up in the clouds was taken by my friend Matt at one of our shows.

Showbams: Did all three of you grow up in San Francisco? If so what area of SF, and how did you meet each other?

Thomas: Well, there are four of us. None of us grew up in SF. Both Pats and Ryan grew up in Benicia, which is in the East Bay, about 40 minutes outside the city. Alex is from Sacramento. We met Alex through SF State. The other Pat, Ryan and Alex all went to SF State.

Showbams: Were your parents hippies?

Thomas: Definitely not! My parents were born about 15 years too late to be a part of the proper baby-boomer hippy generation. They went to college in the 80’s and were into Reagan. Suburban family folk. I don’t think any of our parents were what you’d call hippies. Pat McDonald’s dad probably comes the closest. He fought in Vietnam. But I don’t think he was a long-hair or anything. He had and has a passion for rock ‘n’ roll, though.

Showbams: Do you consider yourself hippies?

Thomas: I don’t think so. Although I could imagine someone might look at us and call us hippies. I like the Grateful Dead. But no, I wouldn’t call myself a hippie. I don’t really use the word “hippie” at all actually.

Showbams: What is your favorite album of 2013 so far?

Thomas: Finding the Meaning in Deference by The Mallard!

Showbams: How stoked, on a scale from 1 -10, are you guys to be on a bill with the likes of YACHT, Thee Oh Sees, K-Flay and a bunch of other independent local acts at the 3rd Annual Phono del Sol Music Festival this Saturday? Is this the first music festival Cool Ghouls has played?

Thomas: 10! Just to play a festival of this caliber … is definitely a first for us. Totally stoked. We will have a lot of family and friends there.

Showbams: If you could play with one band/artist who would it be?

Thomas: Can I choose four? Wyatt Blair, Meat Market, Corners and Froth. And if I could play with them at Brick & Mortar Music Hall, it would be a dream come true!

Filed Under: Festivals, Interviews, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Cool Ghouls, Phono Del Sol, Phono del Sol 2013, Phono del Sol Music Festival, Phono del Sol Music Festival 2013, Potrero del Sol Park

Expectation game alters vibe at SORNE’s SF show

July 18, 2013 by Molly Kish 1 Comment

Photos by Edlon Christenson // Written by Molly Kish //

SORNE //
The Independent – San Francisco
July 11th, 2013 //

Echo Park’s own Morgan Sorne, aka SORNE, hit the stage The Independent last week. A sparse crowd danced loosely amidst the open dance floor half-filled with a seated section leading up to the bar. Adorned with face paint, flowing garbs and a fine sprinkling of festival residue, the scene felt more like a Burning Man decompression than a typical bill at The Independent, leading one to naturally want to abandon all expectations of what exactly was going to take place that evening.

Known for SORNE’s elaborate stage show and creative set designs, the anticipation escalated quickly waiting for him to approach the stage. Marketed as an audio/visual performance, detailing the “archetypes of the human condition,” the crowd eagerly awaited the spectacle to commence. SORNE took the stage, which remained bare, with his bandmates Kevin Naquin and Dean Cote, who accompanied on percussion and back-up vocals. Absent of any frills or stylistic grandeur, the jean-and-tank-top-clad frontman immediately broke into material off of his debut album. Those present instantaneously responded, and to my surprise could care less about whether or not the act lived up to its theatrical promise. SORNE’s energetic stage presence would be the “spectacle” of the night amidst the barren backdrop of the band’s equipment and mic stands.

The band’s talent took precedent upon acceptance that SORNE’s “epic saga” was going to be more of a straight-forward performance. Morgan Sorne’s vocals were amazing, the percussion was on point and his energy throughout the entire show was relentless. Many songs were reminiscent of Yeasayer’s All Hour Cymbals, as each song had its own charismatic charm with undertones of tribal beats and desert trance paired with electronic pop-rock.

Although great for a simple and to-the-point rock concert, it was hard to break from the anticipation of expecting something more. The concert didn’t resonate properly due to expectations based on the SORNE marketing campaign. Although SORNE is a band made up of great musicians with a refreshingly energetic stage presence, the unfulfilled feeling still remains and unfortunately will be what was remembered most about the show that evening.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: SORNE, The Independent

Rogue Wave’s emotional homecoming at The Independent

July 15, 2013 by Mike Frash 2 Comments

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Mike Frash //

Rogue Wave //
The Independent – San Francisco
July 12th-13th, 2013 //

A chatty Friday crowd greeted indie rock veterans and Bay Area locals Rogue Wave for a family and friends homecoming show, the first of a double-banger at The Independent in SF. After three-plus-years abstaining from regular touring, Zach Rogue & the rest of Rogue Wave exhibited remarkable crowd control abilities throughout the evening by radiating positive energy, connecting with fans through engaging stage banter and by presenting live music that was better than their studio recordings.

Halfway through the warm, cinematic favorite “Eyes” three-songs in, some of the crowd couldn’t settle down, as a persistent buzzy layer of sound from the fourth wall intermingled with the song’s aural simplicity. Zach Rogue didn’t seem bothered, as he was clearly living in the moment and taking it all in. But during the next song, a blistering “Publish My Love”, the combination of band and house lighting drew everyone’s full attention for the remainder of the night. The Rogue Wave frontman and driving creative force projected a “living in the moment” mantra — his eyes searched the room looking for familiar faces, and he said ‘we only live for tonight’ more than once.

Zach’s “be where you are” mentality led to some very memorable moments, including one during the intro to “Chicago x 12”. Zach put on his serious face, and said “Life is full of surprises. In 2006 we were here for a benefit for Pat”, as Zach pointed at his drummer and song-crafting collaborator.

Seven years ago, Pat Spurgeon was in desperate need of a second kidney transplant, as he was only born with one kidney that failed when he was a teenager. The group put on a benefit show at The Independent to help pay for medical costs and bring awareness to Pat’s life-or-death search for a donor match. By 2007, Pat had received a kidney and underwent successful transplant surgery January 12. The quick mention most likely drew a couple tears from the close friends and family in the room.

It’s hard to believe a band so musically talented, with a plump catalogue now after releasing their very good fifth LP Nightingale Floors in June, isn’t more popular. Have many of the faithful fans from the mid-aughts moved on to a suburbain home life with 2.5 kids and the white picket fence?

Before “California”, the final song of the night, Zach announced he and his partner were expecting a child. Mr. Rogue had shown flashes of emotion in his face while waxing philosophically earlier in the show — “You never know who’s going to walk through that door” and “Change is inevitable” were stated with conviction and grace. As Zach launched into their flagship song, Zach said “Here’s to new beginnings.”

The tone of Rogue Wave’s music and the content of their songwriting adds up to a life affirming live music experience, but Friday felt extra special with Zach’s charming leadership and candor with the close-nit crowd combined with sophisticated musicianship.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

The set started with new songs ended with ecstatic classics — The new material from Nightingale Floors translated wonderfully live. Rogue Wave are at their best when they build up songs to an emotional wall of sound apex.

“Figured It Out”, one of the best tracks from Nightingale, was delivered with sincerity, but they didn’t simply put the song to bed as they did in the studio recording. The song developed with sonically swirling layers, finishing with a strong crescendo.

This epic, anthemic outro technique was used throughout the night. But it’s this live expansion of their studio material that is the distinguishing difference-maker that musically made this show so memorable. Also, the psychedelic outros contrasted nicely with the clarity of Zach Rogue’s slightly modulated vocals.

Set-ender “Harmonium” was stretched out with massive, thrashing circular reverberation — something The Independent specializes in providing. Go to any corner of the venue during sustained instrumentation layering and the sound balance is more than stellar.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Rogue Wave, The Independent

The Mother Hips go beyond Cali rock

July 3, 2013 by Kevin J Quandt 1 Comment

Photos by Marc Fong // Written by Kevin Quandt //

The Mother Hips //
The Independent – San Francisco
June 29th-30th, 2013 //

The term California rock ‘n’ roll can, and has been, thrown around a bunch in the past many years, and sure, everyone has their own idea of what that exactly sounds like. However, all subjectivity aside, The Mother Hips are easily in the running to be crowned champions of this regional genre, chock full of elements of soul, folk, psychedelia and many more factors which all equal to one sonic ode to the state of California and all it’s deranged beauty.

San Francisco’s very own Independent hosted the Chico-bred band over the course of two thrilling nights to longtime and newcomer fans, alike. Jackpot held down the opening duties on Friday, while Acacia took the reigns on Saturday. One aspect that has kept fans of the headliner on their feet for well over 20 years is the chameleon nature of the band, and this characteristic stretched far and wide across vocal ranges and styles, to the varied tones of the double guitar onslaught that is Tim Bluhm and Greg Loiacono, original founding members and longtime collaborators. “Smoke” opened the Friday show nicely, a track that always makes the crowd smile with it’s lyrical reference to Wilco and all. Bluhm has proven to be an insanely strong songwriter, and likely this is a big factor to his longtime success in music, even without blowing up to superstar status.

These two nights were also album release shows behind a new release titled Behind Beyond, which is set to be released July 9th on their own label. One of the standout new tracks, “Freed From a Prison”, demonstrated Loiacono’s songwriting and frontman abilities, which displays a more democratic process on stage. The two-frontman dynamic is one of the strongest suits going for these guys as Tim and Greg are able to nail some serious vocal harmonies. “Magazine” was nicely placed in the middle of the 18-song set and proves yet again to be a big vehicle for soloing by the respective members, that night being no exception. A three-song encore featured the classic Hip’s jam “Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear” before closing the night with the new ballad entitled “Song for JB”. All in all, these guys know what they are doing onstage more than most bands, likely a product of nearly two decades of kicking out true California rock.

Setlist:
Smoke
White Falcon Fuzz
Freed From a Prison
One Way Out
Toughie
Mother Hips
Isle Not of Man
Gold Plated
Shape the Bell
Stephanie’s for L.A.
Space
Magazine
Del Mar Station
Jefferson Army
Third Floor Story
Behind Beyond
Rose of Rainbows
Hey Emilie

Encore:
Stoned Up the Road
Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear
Song for JB

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: The Independent, The Mother Hips

Riot grrrl headliners CSS dominate a female frontwoman showcase at The Independent

June 19, 2013 by Molly Kish 1 Comment

Photos by James Nagel // Written by Molly Kish //

CSS with MS MR, Io Echo //
The Independent – San Francisco
June 16th, 2013 //

Cansei de Ser Sexy, better known as CSS, brought their Brazilian bravado to The Independent on Sunday. Currently touring to promote their new record Planta (read our review here) in the States, they headlined an impressive bill of up and coming talent on the first stop of their two-night run in the City. Accompanied by indie rock buzz bands IO Echo and MS MR, CSS rocked a sold out venue filled with a mixed-bag fan base representing of all three of the groups.

The featured acts did their job well, turning heads and warming up the crowd for the healdiner. Each act effortlessly commanding the crowd with their individual stage presence and lead vocals to back it up. IO Echo and MS MR provided a perfect example of what the riot grrrl persona, crafted by bands such as CSS, has evolved into with this new and upcoming generation of artists. CSS rounded out the night with a pop-punk dance party filled with hits from their entire catalogue, including brand new singles and a few obscure rarities.

Starting the night off with a raucous rendition of “Art Bitch”, the girls came out ready to shake things up a bit. Known for their boisterous live shows and party girl personas, the ladies weren’t skimping on dramatic flair this evening and wanted to kick things off in riotous fashion. The ladies kicked it into a dance party groove with the reggaeton single off Planta entitled “Hangover”, followed by favorites “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above” and “Move”. Luísa Hanaê Matsushita commanded attention from the crowd with her sex kitten purrs and eccentric dance moves. Using various props throughout the evening, including embellished fans and golden floor-length, wing-like appendages, Matsushita entranced the audience with her flowing, Rapunzel-esque mane and relentless showmanship.

About midway through the set, the evening reached a climactic point when various members disrobed down to their sports bras and spandex during “Music Is My Hot Hot Sex”, remaining in the stripped down attire for the rest of the evening. It was getting late, but the girls still had some party left and obviously weren’t ready to call it a night just yet. After CSS exited the stage, the crowd prompted their return with the a group chant of “CSS Suxxx”. Upon return, the group offered rousing renditions of “Alala” and the 2012 party anthem single “I’ve Seen You Drunk Gurl”. Matsushita stage-dove into the crowd without missing a beat while rapping and being lifted above the heads of her adoring, dancing frenzy of fans. When returning to the stage, she gushed about her love for the city of SF and its local music scene, ending the evening on a high note.

Setlist:
Art Bitch
Move
Hangover
Hits Me Like a Rock
Teenage Tiger
Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death from Above
Girlfriend
City Grrrl
Honey
Red Alert
I Love You
Music Is My Hot Hot Sex
Dynamite

Encore:
Frankie Goes to North Hollywood
Alala
I’ve Seen You Drunk Gurl

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Cansei de Ser Sexy, CSS, io echo, MS MR, The Independent

SF locals The Soft White Sixties start the summer strong at The Indy

June 17, 2013 by Kevin J Quandt 4 Comments

Photos by Marc Fong ~ Written by Kevin Quandt

There isn’t much of a better manner to release a new album than by selling out a heralded room in your hometown, and that’s exactly what the Soft White Sixties pulled off this past Friday. Since making waves at SXSW this year, the Sixties have got their aim set on success this summer, and the release of their latest effort, Get Right, is sure to garner further buzz. The band’s sound is dubbed ‘Working Class Soul’, an amalgamation of classic R&B/soul vocal sentiment layered over a driving pop-rock formula with tinges of funky grooves and mild psychedelia, a winning formula in a town like San Francisco.

Octavio Genera commands a crowd like a champion – his stage presence will likely be a big factor in their impending summer, as well as the success gained from a sizable Western US tour schedule, starting tonight and ending with Outside Lands in August. His enthusiasm is evident, and this bolsters the sound created by his talented band, roughing the edges of their pop sound, just enough. A responsive, dedicated crowd stayed till the last notes, and Genera never slowed down, obviously hoping for this night to not fade away too quickly. This show at The Independent was a clear sign that the Sixties have arrived, and are willing to take it to the next level.

Other local up-starts, Sioux City Kid, took the honors of officially opening for their fellow City brethren, performing an energetic set of patented whiskey-soaked, boot-stomping modern Americana. It was clear that a great percentage of the crowd were already familiar with this act, and the band took advantage of the captive crowd, likely winning over new devotees with a rambunctious play on countrified blues-rock. Expect a big season from this lot.

Quote-Worthy: “We’re trying to make it feel like our backyard. Come on over.”
-Octavio Genera from The Soft White Sixties, in reference to the stage design.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Sioux City Kid, The Independent, The Soft White Sixties

The Field gets lost in the Trees at The Indy

June 7, 2013 by Mike Frash Leave a Comment

Photos by James Nagel

The Field‘s ‘A/V’ performance at The Independent Thursday night was a bit of a joke – audience expectations were not even close to being met and producer Axel Willner was the only person in on the laugh. Known for his driving, dreamy micro-house production, Axel Willner performed one grand, meandering soundscape for about 45 minutes before calling it a night. The set inspired little to no dancing from the crowd – and attendees seemed ready to let loose. Not a single cut was performed or recreated from his three records – a fact that had the Thursday night crowd scratching their collective heads. When an artist is able to fill a room based on his production catalogue, then does something completely different than expected, it will be perceived either as a risky success or a huge middle finger. The show fell short of expectations and creating something special, a double whammy of disappointment any way you look at it.

About half an hour into the performance, it began to feel like an Andy Kaufman-esque expiriment. People were already trickling out of the venue, and not a semblance of percussion nor a minimalist beat had been incorporated into the droning, atmospheric mental masturbation The Field was generating. Willner looked like he was in a patient daze, more interested in drinking his red wine than giving the crowd what they wanted – something to move to. The first half of the performance proved to be all wandering build-up toward a more thundering and throbbing final 20 minutes. The dreamscape gave way to a loud, repetitious trance that felt like early Animal Collective with muted vocal sampling. Then the set was put to bed slowly while ears were still ringing.

Billed as a “completely immersive audio/visual sensory experience”, the show only utilized flat, projected imagery of trees in a forrest. Produced by artist Sonia Alvarez, the video mirrored the music of the night by projecting one long take of a person walking through a forrest with a camera at a high angle. Combined with Willner’s sound, the visuals did give you a feeling of being lost, but not exact immersed. House lights were not used, and the headliner continuously appeared and retreated behind the contrasting visual of trees and sky. To be fully immersive, the set needed more visual support and additional tempo changes.

The Field, on the other hand, probably could care less. Willner set out to produce a new concert performance, and based on expectations he basically fell flat on his ass. He has huge balls to hold the audience captive from get go, and it’s remarkable that he never broke into the churning micro-house rhythms he’s know for. The Field should be given some credit for challenging the conventional concept of sound in a live performance, but The Field is just lost in the trees.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: The Field, The Independent

Mumford & Sons control crowd immaculately at the Greek

June 3, 2013 by Mike Frash Leave a Comment

By Mike Frash //

Mumford & Sons //
Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA
May 29th-31st, 2013 //

Mumford & Sons, the folk-rock force that has influenced contemporary pop music more than any other group in a decade, made an interesting choice by performing a three-night run at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley. Tickets sold out instantly for all three dates when they went on sale, proving the group could have filled Oracle Arena twice over most likely (the band hooked up fans by offering pre-sale ticketing that you could purchase at your own pace by signing up at their website). As always, the outdoor theatre on the UC Berkeley campus proved to be a beautiful setting, a much more intimate and sonically special space for live music than a vast arena. Heart-on-sleeve leader Marcus Mumford even thanked the faithful for snapping up tickets so quickly Friday night, and he did seem humble — something he has down to a veritable science.

With their second tour and massive mainstream success, the foursome now tours with an extensive group of support — at times there were 11 performers on stage, almost exclusively string-based. The other obvious change in Mumford & Sons’ live performance is the gaudy amount of stage aesthetics they are now surrounded by – massive LED panels, epic spotlights, never-ending fog machines – something that could contradict their throwback sound. What a challenge it is for a folk/Americana/country group to integrate contemporary visual effects into a live show, and it was successful overall because they didn’t overdo it. They took a minimalist approach to a setup that would have worked for a Bassnectar show. During “Lover of the Light” at the peak point when Marcus screams the name of the song, it seemed logical for a blinding white light to overtake the audience, but that must have been too didactic since they kept the visuals mellow at that moment. Those present were slightly subdued at times for a Friday night crowd, but that’s because they were at the whim the headliners, following the musical cues with trained obedience.

The Mumford & Sons crowd are the type of folks that don’t go to very many shows, something that became clear as a chatty buzz overtook Michael Kiwanuka’s opening performance. A couple inebriated strangers gave me a beer to apologize for taking the space directly in front of me. I appreciated it since the beer lines were epic, but was it their first concert? While collective disrespect was handed out to Kiwanuka, which included a bare spattering of claps after his final song, Mumford fans were immersed in the main act. The quiet pauses in the songs brought solumn respect from the crowd, yet the age-diverse but very white crowd erupted in celebration during radio anthems like “Little Lion Man”, and the expected sing-alongs brought a surprisingly blended audience harmony.

The hits were spread out, but the show didn’t really take off until the last third of the evening. The four song run of “Holland Road”, “Awake My Soul”, “I Will Wait”, and “Dust Bowl Dance” to end the set was the first time I joined the rest of the Greek theater entranced by the emotional up-and-downs that is the center point of the Mumford ethos. The most memorable part of the evening came at the encore, when Marcus told the audience that the next song will only work if everyone is absolutely silent. Of course, someone within the bowl of the theatre screamed as loud as possible. Marcus said, “now don’t do that. That’s our friend Tom. We put him there to show you what not to do.” Then they jumped into a stripped down version of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” gathered around one antiquated microphone for an acoustic take on the classic, and a deafening silence that lasted the entire song elevated it, creating a memorable moment. After the song, Marcus said, “that’s the quietest it’s ever been for that song…so we’re gonna do another one.” That was perfect timing for the obligatory yelling of “Freebird!”, which actually happened. Regardless of the noob-tastic Cliché spouted, the band played “Not With Haste” unplugged as well, and at the song’s conclusion Marcus smacked the microphone with triumphant gusto. He then said, “We play lots of shows, and we’ll never ever forget that.”

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Bassnectar, Michael Kiwanuka, Mumford & Sons, The Greek Theatre

Akron/Family’s psych-rock thrives with improv & freak-folk weirdness

May 31, 2013 by Kevin J Quandt Leave a Comment

Photos by Sam Heller ~ Written by Kevin Quandt

A banner night in the Bay Area featured a plethora of psychedelic rock acts playing throughout the region. While Tame Impala and Jonathan Wilson held court at the Fox in Oakland, an impressive double-bill of Avi Buffalo opening for Akron/Family was happening across the Bay at the Independent in San Francisco. Those not in Oakland or scared off by a blustery Wednesday night show were treated to two fine American rock acts, each bringing something unique to the table, er, I mean stage.

Avi Buffalo has been missing from the live stage for a couple of years after breaking out as prodigal teenage songwriter and performer, and he’s reemerged with some serious maturity and further guitar prowess. The three piece act, featuring longtime Avi side-gal Sheridan Riley on drums, curated a set heavy on new songs for a moderately filled room. Avi has a great knack for silky guitar effects and note-filled solos when not manning the vast majority of the vocal arrangements. No release date in sight has me thinking he’ll road test a new batch of songs before entering the studio. Catch him this summer with Portugal. The Man, as he is sure to be a name to look for, once again.

Next up would be the reigning, underground freak-folk kings to kick up the ‘weird’ in the room just a few more notches. From the opening, totally-improvised full band drum jam, you could clearly tell they’re flying by the seat of their pants, patiently waiting to see what comes, only to further expand off that thought. They also occasionally play songs, and on this tour many were featured off their latest LP, Sub Verses. The dynamic play between members is key to their longtime success in the arena of envelope-pushing, much like acts such as Menomena, and even Animal Collective. Still flying under the radar, this is a band you should surely see while in smaller clubs across the nation.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Akron/Family, Avi Buffalo, The Independent

Matthew Dear’s captivating theatrics woo intimate crowd at Mezzanine

May 24, 2013 by Molly Kish 3 Comments

Photos by Mike Frash ~ Written by Molly Kish

White rose petals littered the stage and dance floor Wednesday May 22 after the amazing, underrated Matthew Dear headlined at Mezzanine in San Francisco. Playing to a crowd nowhere near half the capacity of the SOMA venue, the Brooklyn native gave an electrifying performance accompanied by an equally charismatic live band. Playing as though they were in front of a festival crowd, the group held nothing back, delivering a stunning set that covered material spanning his entire catalogue with a focus on dance-inducing crowd favorites and most of the material off of his 2012 album Beams.

The magic of Matthew Dear’s live performance was set up by the meticulous details and artistic ingenuity he has crafted through years of touring. Dimly lit stage lights achieved a minimalist ambiance and five bouquets of white roses were strategically tied to each of the member’s bandstands.

The band hit the stage ready to get people moving with four back to back tracks off Beams, providing steady, understated beats before segueing into “Slow Dance”, a stand out track from 2010’s Black City. Each track was knitted together perfectly, entrancing the intimate audience and setting a perfect early pace for the crowd to assimilate into the inevitable dance party at their own leisure.

Absent of stage banter, Dear instead spoke to the audience through his theatrical stage presence and intense energy. As a front man, he commanded the stage with his expressive movements and unrestrained dance moves. Equally as enthralling, his band members’ passionate intensity permeated through their facial expressions and delivery.

The stand out jam of the evening toned down the BPM and brought the set to a standstill. With the house lights completely down except for a blinding spotlight silhouetted directly on Matthew, he broke into a riveting, angst filled rendition of “Shake Me” for the second to last song of his set. Playing off of the several bouquets of freshly picked white roses that had been added to his stage design, Dear slowly began picking apart one of the buds as soon as he uttered the opening line of the song. About mid way through the emotionally charged tune, he had plucked the petals off at least three to four different stems, then he accentuated the song’s big breakdown by de-flowering an entire dozen all over the stage. Tearing apart the rosebuds feverishly and throwing their debris into the polarized audience, Matthew Dear honed in on the disparity of the track, taking the evening to a darker place emotionally.

He encored the night powerfully with a duo of dance hits, “Her Fantasy” and old school favorite “Don and Sherri”, leaving the initially timid crowd reeling for more.

It’s no surprise that this Ghostly International co-founder is capable of captivating audiences on the regular, and that he’s had a steady career as a DJ, producer and experimental dance artist. Matthew Dear’s raw talent and charisma showed at Mezzanine; he took immediate command of the room upon entering, has an undeniable, enrapturing presence and is responsible for breaking some the best talent currently running the EDM scene. One question I have is, why wasn’t this show packed to the brim with people to have the same experience I did? He might be in that last sliver of time where he can claim to be slightly under the radar as a tastemaker in the indie scene.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Matthew Dear, Mezzanine

Big Boi and Killer Mike bring much-needed R.A.P. Music to SF

May 17, 2013 by Mike Frash 4 Comments

Two of the most ferocious names in hip hop descended upon Mezzanine in San Francisco May 17, as Southern fire-breather Big Boi and force of nature Killer Mike brought some much needed rhymes to the bay. Killer Mike made his debut on Outkast’s landmark LP Stankonia, and he also is featured on “The Whole World”, which the two giants of R.A.P. Music performed together during Big Boi’s set.

Killer Mike knows how to command a room’s collective attention, which is something of a challenge for an opening act, as many a show-goer will defer to chatting and drinking while waiting for the main act. During the third song Thursday night, two intrusive security guards trounced through the middle of the crowd with flashlights at a top down, forty-five degree angle, presumably looking for pot-smokers. Killer Mike stopped mid-spit, the music was halted, and the larger-than-life nonconformist launched into his first anti-establishment argument. In this case it was lighthearted; “Everyone smoke your weed – they can’t get everybody.” Most likely the security guards were roadies and it was all part of the act, but either way it effectively established pin-drop silence and crowd attentiveness.

His command is impressive, and Michael Render is also accessible, engaging while acting politically assertive, asking you to join his thought process. His energy, charming smile & effective use of language draws you into him, which allows his points to absorb in the listener, making even overt political statements sink in easier. With “Reagan”, Mike puts a large dent into the idealized memory the Republican Party celebrates daily for their most adored president. He began the song with a long soliloquy that set the stage for Mike to entice a large portion of the crowd to chant “I’m glad Reagan’s dead” by the end of the best political protest song in recent memory, essentially spitting on his grave. Single handedly, Killer Mike is a force that is battling the right wing celebration of everything Ronald Reagan, and when the the American right moves to put him on the twenty dollar bill, watch for this song to be the opposition anthem.

Mike took pride in his political, but not partisan focus before finishing the set, showing that standing up against Establishment wrongs can be entertaining and fun, and his take-charge tone projects pure leadership and is slightly contageous. It’s easy to imagine Killer Mike as a leading figure in hip-hop within one more album cycle. He’s already completed a new album with El-P, and they’ll be heading out on tour together this summer, stopping in SF July 30.

While Killer Mike might say things some people don’t want to hear (I think he’s dead on), San Francisco concert goers were treated Thursday night to a satisfying greatest hits show by Big Boi. The half of Outkast that was more likely to deliver dexterous, lightning-fast lyrics than hooky refrains understands what people want to hear when they see him live. The set blasted off with an Outkast medley, featuring “ATliens”, “Skew it on the Bar-B”, & “Rosa Parks” in mash-up fashion. Sir Lucious tapped into his catchiest, most upbeat solo songs from his 2012 LP Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors like “Apple of My Eye” and “CPU”. One of the only surprising drawbacks was the lack of solo tracks from his two excellent solo records and a glutton of Outkast jams.

Big Boi may be performing “solo” these days, but he’s anything but alone. Throughout the evening he was joined by his live band, DJ, female backup singer Keisha Jackson, a geeky white guy, his entourage, a gaggle of dancing women, Killer Mike for four songs and BlackOwned C-Bone, who played hype-man and oddly filled the André 3000 role at times. Big Boi even took a break, allowing C-Bone to have the stage for a song to up his importance. He’s certainly as entertaining a stage presence as Big Boi, and he psyched out the audience by saying they were slowing things down before launching into “Shutterbugg”.

Big Boi still projects bravado, and he’s a showman that’s has curated a live concert experience that caters to his most well known work. His joy and love for SF seemed true this night, so much that he reappeared for four encore songs and a 1am shutdown.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Big Boi, Killer Mike, Mezzanine

Jim James ignites The Fonda Theatre with ‘Monster’ mate Conor Oberst

May 13, 2013 by Pete Mauch 1 Comment

Conor Oberst does his best Jim James impersonation, cape and all.

By Pete Mauch //

Jim James //
The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles
May 11th, 2013 //

My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James performed in LA at the sold-out Fonda Theatre on Saturday night, playing two eclectic sets, including the majority of his 2013 solo LP Regions of Light and Sound of God. The first set featured James and his band playing through the entire album, while the second set gave way to older material from My Morning Jacket & Monsters of Folk.

Jim James started the second set solo with his acoustic guitar and treated the crowd to “Bermuda Highway” and “Wonderful”, two of the best ballads in James’ repertoire. James even showcased his Saxophone skills, which I never knew he had.Bright Eyes crooner Conor Oberst made a late second set surprise appearance to help out with Monsters of Folk heavy hitter “Dear God” while doing his best Jim James impression, donning his cape and over-the-top theatrics.

James was his normal weird self on stage, traversing all over the place utilizing hand motions and head banging. I believe I had a staring contest with him for about thirty seconds during the encore. Jim James is one of the most exciting frontmen in the business and there truly is something special about him. I don’t know if it’s his stage antics or how sincere he seems with all his “Thank You’s” and “God Bless You’s’. He must of said both those phrases thirty times on Friday.

When James released his solo album back in February, I wasn’t very impressed, but after hearing the songs come to life in a live setting, I have a new found respect for the album and I look forward to re-listening to it. I highly suggest you catch Jim James on his solo tour if possible.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Conor Oberst, Jim James, My Morning Jacket, The Fonda Theatre

Digitalism clean things up yet provide filthy beats in SF

May 10, 2013 by Mike Frash 1 Comment

Photos by James Nagel ~ Written by Mike Frash

San Francisco bass-heads got down to some filthy house-dance-rock with Digitalism at the Independent May 7. Their indie and punk ocular influences are pretty much just a memory now, with Jens Moelle & İsmail Tüfekçi honing in on a cleaned up, dapper visual aesthetic. Since 2012 the German duo has transitioned to a minimalist look, from the clothes they wear to to the amount of instruments, equipment & lighting they surround themselves with on stage.

Instead of looking like grubby college kids, they wore matching suit jackets, black undershirts & jeans, and their stage setup was seemingly instrument-free. All the gear they needed was atop wide podiums with a thin support bar that automatically lifted when the house lights dimmed, revealing a vertical neon light strip that shifted between red and blue coloring. Gone are the drums, keyboards and any other bulky equipment – but Digitalism’s sound remains the same; they curate a high-BPM dance party that is overtly electronic yet poppy, especially when live vocals are utilized. Ultimately the show was an optimized DJ set, not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Digitalism is Jens “Jence” Moelle (left) and İsmail “Isi” Tüfekçi.

Jence & Isi played it cool throughout the set while inciting hands in the air, the swaying of limbs to slow beats and frenzied build ups that gave way to crunchy must-dance bass drops. Isi’s confidence & empowered “loving-each-moment” attitude throughout the evening was a constant call to action to do the same. He even encouraged the formation of hearts using thumbs and pointer fingers, mirroring the stage background and the project’s central graphic motif.

They stuck to their own material most of the evening, with Jence stepping up to the vintage mic for “Idealistic”, “Circles” and the show ending “Pogo”, which instantly became a group sing-along. “Falling” and “Blitz” had mid-week auditory pleasure seekers thrashing away and jumping in place. The surprise of the evening was the truly unpredictable nature of some transitions and crowd expectations mid-set.

This was not necessarily the show to repetitively fist pump or get robotic with dance moves, as the party starters were rather tricky at times. Isi commanded all hands to the sky by doing it himself, and most people in the room obliged. A stressful build approached what felt like an obvious drop, and the two producers were leading the crowd to the release point with their arms even further up. But as the measure ended they pulled a bait and switch, dropping the sound almost entirely, hanging arm-flailers out to dry. They continued to bring the unexpected, keeping the crowd on it’s toes by inverting expectations a couple more times.

Digitalism created an environment mid-show where you couldn’t trust their unpredictable leadership, which actually enhanced the experience and made it more memorable. That helped, along with the arena-sized sound that was packed into a small room that has incredible auditory engineering and lighting.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Digitalism, The Independent

Palma Violets, fresh faces of Britpop, invade The Independent

April 26, 2013 by Kevin J Quandt 5 Comments

Photos by James Nagel // Written by Kevin Quandt //

Palma Violets //
The Independent – San Francisco
April 23rd, 2013 //

The British have always been fanatical about their own rock bands, dating back to the origins of the genre. This has been the case for many years, and though the States aren’t vastly different, it is clear us Yanks will not get behind every export in record numbers (see: Blur and Stone Roses at Coachella this year). The new buzz oozing from the British Isles goes by the name Palma Violets, and are already being hailed as the next Arctic Monkeys, which is a helluva big deal over in Jolly Old.

Tuesday night had the quartet appearing at San Francisco’s the Independent on their first US national tour, largely revolving around two appearances at Coachella. Support duties where helmed by fellow Indio performers and a growing New York City act which goes by the name Guards. As the room steadily filled, the early birds were treated to a whirlwind of indie rock that played heavily on both pop and psychedelic elements, backed by one of the more aggressive fog machines I have witnessed. Their genuinely spirited stage presence made the audience more receptive to the thick sound they churned out early on a weeknight. Their debut release In Guards We Trust is worth a spin, as it’s a good possibility they will gain momentum this summer.

Palma Violet’s debut album, 180, dropped in February to mainly positive reviews as the young Englishmen played their patented play on the ever-expanding genre of rock and roll. Yes, it’s decidedly labeled as BritPop, but the sound runs much deeper as elements from American music can be found, as well. Comparisons aside, Palma Violets, consisting of Alexander “Chilli” Jesson(bass/vocals), Sam Fryer(guitar/vocals), Peter Mayhew(keyboards) and Will Doyle(drums), are a band to behold onstage in a live setting.

“Johnny Bagga’ Donuts” would be the first song, and from the first notes it was evident that these lads are in this whole thing to have a good time, and by extension, make the crowd join them. The enthusiasm is through the roof, whether via their hype-man/roadie that goes by Harry Violent or the band’s pension for joining the crowd, instruments and all. Early in the show, the two singers vocally resembled the full Cockney rasp of Joe, Mick and Paul of the Clash, and the stage energy mirrored the punk legends just enough. Add the warm synths that mixed into the thrash of bass and guitar, and the sound does come across as fully unique, while strangely familiar. “Chicken Dippers” showcased the vocal range of Sam Fryer as his voice lowered to a low baritone à la Julian Casablancas or Paul Banks. “Best Friend” was featured mid-set and received the most applause from the crowd, per the usual for an up-and-coming group’s fiery first single. One aspect that initially attracted me to 180 was the range of rock styles and sounds Palma Violets have managed to both cover, especially from guys not old enough to drink in the States.

One was not surprised when the encore came around that the band would close with a bang, and not a whimper. The mysterious ‘secret song’ off their release is entitled “Brand New Song.” Though not technically the most mind-blowing of their tracks, it is an uproarious anthem that celebrates all the fun of youth while demonstrating anything can and may happen at a show.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Coachella, Coachella 2013, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2013, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2013, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2013, Guards, Palma Violets, The Independent

Sigur Rós spellbind crowd & offer new material at The Fox

April 18, 2013 by Kevin Raos 4 Comments

Photos by Marc Fong

A band amidst a reformation, Sigur Rós proved this week they are back in a major way after a four year hiatus and the loss of a core band member earlier this year. Their dreamy, ambient but oftentimes intense style of music remains intact, however they have evolved their sound to be more assertive than the direction they took with their extremely mellow 2012 album Valtari. Sigur Rós appears to be going in a new direction, which they put on display for a captive audience at The Fox Theater, Oakland Tuesday.

Making their second Bay Area appearance in less than a year (they sub-headlined Outside Lands 2012), Sigur Rós demonstrated this new sound immediately by opening the show with a new song titled “Yfirborð”. “Kveikur,” “Hrafntinna,” and “Brennisteinn” are also new songs that were performed throughout the show. “Brennisteinn” is a perfect example of their new, more “aggressive” sound – just watch the music video. In addition to these excellent new tracks, Sigur Rós demonstrated they still have the ability to nail their classics, despite the departure of keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson earlier this year. Sigur Rós delighted with fan favorites such as “Svefn-g-englar,” “Hoppípolla” and “Glósóli,” to name a few. Although they now call themselves a “trio,” there was an accompanying string and horn section, as well as a percussionist/keyboardist and backing guitars.

The magical, etherial sounds of Sigur Rós would not be complete without steller visuals to accompany the music. Abstract video and the band member silhouettes were projected on a giant transparent screen draped in front of the stage for the first few songs before it was dramatically dropped at a peak moment, revealing the entire band behind it. Behind the band was a massive, movable video screen that played accompanying video throughout the entire show.

Frontman Jónsi looks poised to take this band to new heights and nothing should stop him. Jónsi’s spellbinding voice and guitar have always been a signature of Sigur Rós, and that has not changed one bit. Sigur Rós held the audience captive Tuesday and delivered a knockout set.

We can expect a few of the new songs we heard on Tuesday to appear on their upcoming album Kveikur, which is scheduled to drop June 18.

Setlist:
Yfirborð
Ný Batterí
Vaka
Hrafntinna
Sæglópur
Svefn-g-englar
Varúð
Hoppípolla
Með Blóðnasir
Olsen Olsen
Kveikur
Festival
Brennisteinn

Encore:
Glósóli
Popplagið

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Sigur Ros, The Fox Theater Oakland

Yeasayer show mad love for SF at Mezzanine

April 16, 2013 by Molly Kish 15 Comments

Photos by Sam Heller

A highlight performance for Mezzanine’s 10 year Anniversary concert series in San Francisco, Yeasayer performed this past Friday to a sold out crowd, and they were accompanied by fast-rising Wild Belle as the featured act.

The club-sized venue provided the crowd with the most intimate show that Yeasayer has played in the Bay Area over the past 5 years. Having sold out both The Fillmore and Fox Theater their last two visits, the audience was treated to a side of the band that most had likely not yet witnessed. Stripped down to simple house lights and absent of their optically illusive stage designs, the band kept the show simple, treating the crowd to a performance-based set absent of the frills.

Their set list pulled from from all three of their full lengths with highlights such as “Ambling Alp,” “One” and “Reagan’s Skeleton” whipping the crowd into a full frenzy. The band fed off the energy running through the audience, which remained at an all time high throughout. At any point you could look around and catch crowd members fully immersed, singing along and dancing to every song. Everyone knew how lucky they were to be there and the feeling resonated mutually with the band.

At the end of their set, front man Chris Keating said, “I don’t live here, but I truly believe this is the best city.” Directly after the words were uttered, I received a text confirmation that they will be included on the Outside Lands 2013 bill. The Yeasayer love remains reciprocal in the Bay Area, and if last Friday is any indicator of what they have in store for August, their OSL festival set should not be missed.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Mezzanine, Wild Belle, Yeasayer

Jamie Lidell’s hybrid funk party at The Independent

April 5, 2013 by Kevin J Quandt 2 Comments

Photos by Sam Heller

Did I just step out a party from the Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure’s interpretation of the future? I mean, I see the trench-coat, hear the vintage funk beats and am experiencing the linear visuals, but I certainly don’t feel like I am in 2013. So is the barrage of a show that is Jamie Lidell and his full on soul-funk, electronic throw-down which pulled into San Francisco’s own Independent on March 29th.

The equation of Lidell’s music is rather basic, as it entails multiple layers of drum and synth sequencing layered with his rich, largely augmented vocals singing sultry soul songs. “I’m Selfish” opened the evening, as it does on his new self-titled release on Warp, and Lidell jumped out of the gates grooving and crooning along to his infectious tracks. Comparisons to Prince are hard to ignore on his latest album, but this does not detract from the unique act Jamie has cultivated over the past decade. The capacity crowd gradually loosened up as the headliner bounced between his older, more house influenced tracks and the soul funk bangers that brought more gyrating to the dance floor.

Lidell is a rather charming character on stage, prone to silly banter with the crowd, as well as rocking a smile that will not leave his face. The same could generally be said for the crowd who ate up this hybrid genre that is difficult to not enjoy, whether singing in the shower or on a Friday night with your friends.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Jamie Lidell, The Independent

Poolside’s seductive, slowed-down disco entrances at The Indy

April 4, 2013 by Molly Kish 3 Comments

Photos by Sam Heller

Poolside brought their infectious brand of Daytime Disco to a sold out crowd at The Independent March 27. Comprised of the patriarch of “Frisco Disco” Jeffery Paradise, Danish electro savant Filip Nikolic and friends, the group had no problem filling the venue with a crowd eager to catch this buzzworthy act.

No strangers to the spotlight, both Paradise and Nikolic formed Poolside after accomplishing individual success within the industry. Although both could easily play the front man role in this outfit, they instead commanded the performance as partners with a chemistry that fed directly into the the energy of the crowd that evening. Riding off the overnight success of their debut full length Pacific Standard Time, the setlist covered nearly every track off the album. Hip-swaying highlights including “Why You Wanna,” “Slow Down” and the seductive crowd sing-along cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon.”

While the quick set left the entranced crowd craving more, the guys came back on stage to perform “Take Me Home.” Before breaking into the opening chords however, they professed their love for the city of SF and the local fan base, then they announced this was the first time they had ever left the stage to be called back for an encore. Having only played smaller venues in the city previously, the crowd welcomed Poolside back to the stage with the enthusiasm of a stadium.

Making their move into the festival circuit this summer after one last stop in SF April 18 at California Academy of Sciences, this band is definitely one to catch on the intimate level, while still able to do so.

Filed Under: Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Poolside, The Independent

Phoenix deliver beaucoup Entertainment at The Independent in SF

April 2, 2013 by Mike Frash 5 Comments

Photos by Chaya Frash

Those lucky enough to score tickets to the ultra-intimate Phoenix show at The Independent Monday night witnessed something special. Only announced last Thursday, the festival-headlining group did not hold back for this last-minute surprise, and the devoted that showed up with the desperate hope of finding a face value miracle profited off a late ticket rerelease.

This was only the fourth live performance in support of Phoenix’s upcoming album Bankrupt!, which drops April 23, and the evening’s setlist featured nine of ten tracks from the record. Hearing the Bankrupt! cuts live made the songs come alive, particularly in the middle section of the set from “Trying To Be Cool” to “The Real Thing.” This incredible performance also included most of the songs from Wolfgang Amadeus, but was light on earlier material.

Thomas Mars and the rest of the group didn’t act as if they were playing a semi-private show in an intimate space, even though the crowd energy early on was shockingly muted at times. But the one-two punch of “Armistice” & “1901” had everyone jumping by the end of the set, and Mars had trekked across the room and stood up one the rail near the merchandise booth, then crowd surfed back to the stage, capping off one of the best sets in recent memory.

This was the kind of show Phoenix put on before their breakout success in 2009; it looked like the French foursome deferred to the house lights at The Independent, and this must be one of the smallest spaces Phoenix has played since the mid-2000s.

Mars and guitarist Christian Mazzalai began the encore with an acoustic version of “Countdown,” then played a beautiful cover of Air’s “Playground Love.” Both songs inspired pin-drop silence til the last note.

The two most transcendent moments of the night involved new songs. “Drakkar Noir” and “Chloroform” are two new tracks that work remarkably well together. Once “Drakkar Noir” bridges into the downtempo beats of “Chloroform,” which melds synth layers and humming bass bombs, you can’t help but get sucked in to Phoenix’s world of sound.

Another blissful combination is “Bankrupt!” and “Love Like a Sunset I and II,” now called “Sunskrupt!” This heady live combo begins with “Love Like a Sunset I,” segues seamlessly into “Bankrupt!” and finishes with “Love Like a Sunset II.” Both songs are experimental and instrumental in nature, and it’s a genius touch to combine them live.

Phoenix is just getting started on this tour, and they are a must see live act now more than ever.

Setlist:
Entertainment
Lisztomania
Lasso
Long Distance Call
SOS in Bel Air
Girlfriend
Trying To Be Cool
Drakkar Noir
Chloroform
The Real Thing
Sunskrupt! (Love Like A Sunset + Bankrupt!)
Fences
Oblique City
Don’t
Armistice
1901